PTB's Writing Challenge 2013
by MissWinkles
Summary: A prompt a week for 52 weeks. Some short stories, some one shots, we'll see what happens! Rated M because I'm not entirely sure.
1. Week One

**Challenge Number/Title: 1**

**The Fall Factor**

**Date Posted: January 13th, 2013**

**Fandom: Twilight**  
**Rating: M**  
**Genre: AH**  
**Content Descriptors: Fluff.**  
**Character Pairing: E/B**

* * *

**Fall Factor: The height a climber will fall before the rope begins to stretch and absorb the energy of the fall.**

* * *

"I bet it's the pink one."

"Nah, the green one with the open back."

"Nope, that was last week. It's Monday morning, it'll be the black one."

"Dude, that's creepy that you know that."

James and Ben sigh simultaneously, coffee mugs in hand, their noses almost pressed up against the dark tinted windows of the office.

"Do you think the blonde one's had her…you know—" James gestures to his chest with open hands. "Like, do you think they're real?"

Emmett rolls his eyes. "Jesus, I don't know. I'll get my binoculars out next time. It's not like I can tell from this far away."

It's Monday morning, 8:55am. The office is mostly empty, save for the few early starters, and of course, as has been the tradition every morning since mid-August, Ben, James, Emmett and I. We all like to pretend we get here early so that we can get more work done – but it's a lie. We all know why we're here; faces squashed against the glass like the perverts that we are.

It all started that summer, when a heat wave swept the east coast sending temperatures soaring and air-conditioner bills sky-high. Of course, we happen to work for the stingiest boss in the history of the world, who insists that you don't need AC, that you'll get used to the heat, and that eventually you won't even miss it. That or you'll die from heat exhaustion.

Ten bucks says the latter.

Anyway, so it's mid-August, and we're all sweating like pigs, dressed in our button-up shirts and ties like the good office workers we are, when Ben comes scurrying through the partitions, his stupid corduroy pants making that _swoosh-swoosh-swoosh_ sound as he powers down the aisle between the cubicles.

"Dude." He gestures with his head for me to follow, and after peeling myself off my desk chair, I do.

"What's going on?" asks Em, poking his head out of his cubicle, his curly hair damp around his temples.

I shrug. "No idea."

"I'm coming." The guy will take any opportunity not to work.

By the time Emmett and I get to Ben, he's practically vibrating in his spot.

"Have you been drinking Red Bull again?" asks Emmett. "You know the doctor said one can a day is enough."

"Yeah, I mean, no. No Red Bull. Look."

He points out the large picture window that faces the street, to a large white moving van across the road. Two huge guys are unloading massive boxes of…well…something, while another directs them into the empty store front.

I can't help but sigh long and hard. The walk from my desk to the window has made me hot, and there's sweat gathering in places it shouldn't be. "So?"

"Wait for it."

Looking dubious, Emmett rolls his eyes, but watches nonetheless.

"So I was downstairs at the vending machine, you know, not getting a Red Bull" says Ben shiftily. "And they came in here to drop off some of these."

He hands me a glossy white piece of paper, a little smaller than A4 in size. "Newton's Fitness and Rock. Sounds like a really shitty punk band."

There's a picture of some buffed up guy hanging from a cliff face, his overly tanned abs glistening in the sunlight. The words _Opening Soon!_ are printed across the top.

Ben snatches the paper away. "It's a fucking gym is what it is."

"Did you bring us here to watch these sweaty guys unload this van, Ben? Because if you did, I swear to God I'll glue your face to your keyboard," threatens Emmett, beginning to look a little flustered from standing in the sun as it beams through the window.

Ben huffs in frustration. "No! Just wait a fucking minute, okay?"

"One minute," replies Emmett, holding up his index finger.

"God. Even my eyelids are sweaty." I know complaining isn't going to make it better, but God damnit, it feels good.

Emmett nods in agreement, tugging roughly at the collar of his shirt. "This is inhumane. Even my ass is sweating."

"It's them. Look!"

Ben is suddenly against the glass, his face literally pressed so close that his breath fogs up the window, and he's probably burning layers of skin off of his palms from the blazing hot window.

Curious, Emmett and I take a look.

On the street below, a black SUV pulls up behind the van, and a blonde gets out of the driver's side, her ponytail swishing around a tight black gym top.

"Holy shit," mumbles Emmett, pressing in a little closer.

We watch, transfixed, as two brunettes get out of the car too - one short, the other impossibly shorter. Both are dressed in black running tights and work out tops, the skin-tight material showing off their slim, fit bodies.

"Christ almighty." I swallow; my mouth agape as the three of them walk up the sidewalk and into what is now apparently a gym. The taller of the two brunettes stops to talk to one of the removal guys, and I can already see from my vantage point that she's cute. No, not cute, smoking hot. Her neon green top shows off her toned arms and shoulders, the tight material showing off her flat stomach. The bottom of her braid swishes against her lower back, her dark hair shining in the afternoon sunlight.

In a flash, she's trotting back inside with the others, out of the sunlight and into the gym.

"Well fuck," says Emmett with a smile. "Looks like I'm going to have to buy some gym shorts."

The thought of my scrawny legs in gym shorts has my nerves on edge already. "I don't do gyms. I prefer to work out at home."

Emmett laughs, wrapping his meaty hand around my arm. "What do you weigh, one-sixty wet?"

I wrench my arm out of his sweaty grip. "One sixty five, thank you. And I have a fast metabolism, okay? I can't help it."

The two of us bicker all the way back to our respective cubicles and the rest is history.

That fateful day was the reason why every morning, at 8:45am, the four of us line up to watch one of the girls leave the gym to do a coffee run to the café next door.

It's also how, three months later, I found myself hanging by my balls from a rope twenty feet in the air.

* * *

**Thank you to Krystle for her quick beta work. **

**Here's how it works; a prompt a week, a chapter a week (hopefully). Short chapters. Maybe a few short stories of 8-10 chapters each. I have no idea where any of them are going or even what they are. **

**x Wink**


	2. Week Two

**Challenge Number/Title: 2  
**

**The Fall Factor**

**Date Posted: January 20th, 2013**

**Fandom: Twilight**  
**Rating: M**  
**Genre: AH**  
**Content Descriptors: Fluff.**  
**Character Pairing: E/B**

* * *

The door of the break room swings open and Rosie rushes in; her sneakers squeaking against the tiles as she makes a beeline for the sink.

"Men's change room duty?" asks Alice, head buried in a book, her laptop, textbooks and notepads sprawled across the table in front of her. She looks up, her dark hair just visible over the screen of her computer.

Rose makes a noise of disgust as she lathers the soap up around her elbows and between her fingers, scrubbing furiously. "Men are filthy, filthy creatures. I swear it's like Mike's got it in for me."

Mike, the owner of the franchise is currently vying for the title of World's Biggest Douche Bag. After putting Rose on change room duties for a week after being ten minutes late, he's currently in the lead.

Alice sits back, stretching her arms up over her head. "Well, at least he's stopped hitting on you now. Spare a thought for the rest of us."

Giving Mike an extra advantage in the douche bag stakes is the fact that not only is he a jerk; he's also a complete slime ball. It was his idea to implement the workout shorts as mandatory uniform. Not so bad you say? You try doing a downward-facing dog while your ass hangs out of a pair of short shorts.

We wear them of course; there's no point in getting fired over a pair of shorts. We just wear them over our leggings so that Mike can't complain that we're not in the proper attire.

It's mid-afternoon on a Thursday, the work crowd has gone back to work after their lunch break yoga or spin class, and the gym is quiet. I should probably be out checking the equipment or something, but my extreme distaste for Mike makes me decide otherwise. Instead, I'm reading a book and daydreaming about a chocolate fruppacino with extra whipped cream from the deli across the road.

See, I'm exactly nine and a half days into a new diet that forbids all refined sugar, carbs, processed foods, salt and dairy. In the half an hour after I've eaten my salad and fruit for lunch I feel great. For the remainder of the time between lunch and a handful of almonds and three o'clock, I spend pretty much all of my time thinking about food. Specifically, today, a full fat iced chocolate with extra whipped cream.

Fuck it. I want the sprinkles on top as well.

Sighing, I slap my book shut and pour myself a big glass of water.

"Hungry?" asks Rose, squirting pump after pump of hand sanitizer into her palm.

I nod, finishing half of the glass in one go. My tactic so far has been to drink a big glass of water whenever I'm feeling hungry. Normally it works. But today, the last half of the water in my glass looks so incredibly not like a chocolate-based drink.

After emptying the last of the water from the glass into the sink, I grab my purse.

"I'm going to across the street for a drink. You girls want one?"

* * *

"Two iced teas - one sweetened, one regular - two raspberry muffins, a chocolate éclair and a chocolate Fruppacino with extra whipped cream."

I figure if I'm going to blow out my diet for the afternoon, I might as well do it in style.

The sun outside hits me like a Mack truck, the glare from the office building across the road hitting me right in the eyes.

"Two iced teas - one sweetened, one regular - two raspberry muffins, a chocolate éclair and a chocolate Fruppacino with extra whipped cream."

Damn. I should have written it down.

I'm so busy typing my deli shopping list into my notes that when I walk in, I almost slam right into the back of a stranger. I murmur an apology and step to the end of the line, hoping no one saw me almost head butt some guy between the shoulders.

Enjoying the cool reprieve of the café, I watch out of the corner of my eye as the guy I almost head butted fidgets beside me. It's kind of distracting actually.

Phone in his hand.

Phone in the back pocket.

Phone in his hand again.

Typing.

Back in his pocket.

Tapping fingers against his thigh.

My god, the guy is completely unable to stand still for more than five seconds.

Vicki, who owns the shop, serves me, sliding a huge cup of iced coffee over the counter to Mr. Jitters. Ordering my hoard, I can't help but notice him shaking three sugar packets repeatedly, before dumping them into his already cream and caramel-topped coffee.

Goddamn sugar junkies.

"You want a shot of vanilla in your iced chocolate, Bella?" asks Vicki, waving the bottle of vanilla flavored sugar at me. "I'll throw it in for free."

"I don't know, Vick. I'm pretty sweet as it is."

She laughs, short and loud. "You weren't so sweet last week in that spin class."

I tuck a plastic stirrer between my teeth and smile at her over the coffee machine. "No pain no gain."

Rolling her eyes, Vick hands me the cardboard cup holder.

Tucking the bag of sugar laden goodies under my chin, I shove my purse under my arm and lift the tray full of drinks. "See you tonight for that boxing class, Vick? Or am I finally going to get you on the wall?"

She snorts. "You'll get a kick in the ass if you don't get out of here."

"Yeah, yeah. Bye!"

Her laugh follows me out of the store, and as I make my way out of the deli, I'm immediately hit with the blinding sunlight again, only this time my sunglasses are perched on top of my head, and my hands are full.

"Shit."

I try to shrug my shoulder up towards the side of my head in an attempt to push the glasses off my head and onto my face. Instead, I just stand there brushing my shoulder against my ear like a complete idiot, spilling iced tea all over my fingers.

"Fuck!."

"Here." I barely hear his voice it's so quiet. If I hadn't seen a hand shoot out to lower my glasses, I wouldn't have known anyone was there.

"Thanks!"

Paper bag still tucked under my chin, I lift my head up as far as I can, smiling. I'm a little shocked to see Mr. Sugar Junkie himself standing in front of me, a half empty drink in his hand.

"Oh, hey, you work next door!"

Leaning forward, I manage to get my straw between my lips, and the sweet, sugary goodness of my chocolate drink into my mouth.

"How did you know I'm from next door?" he replies, a little louder this time.

I gesture with my head. "It's on your shirt."

He looks down. "Oh yeah."

We stand there for a moment, the sun blazing down on us as we stand in silence. I gotta say, it's a little awkward.

"Well, thanks again," I say politely. "I'd better get back before these drinks get warm. Thanks so much for the glasses thing."

He raises a hand, and then drops it again. "It's no - do you – uh – do you need help carrying that?"

"Nah. I'll be fine. Thanks though!"

Rose and Alice are practically salivating by the time I get back, pouncing on me the minute I walk in the staff room door.

"So I totally met one of the guys from across the street. From that website design place."

"Oh yeah?" says Rose around a mouthful of éclair, her lips stained with chocolate and choux pastry.

Alice is already behind her computer again, her iced tea in hand. "The cute one?"

Nibbling on a raspberry muffin, I nod. "Yeah, I guess. Kind of crazy hair, cute smile, really awkward?"

"No, I meant the dark haired one; kind of tall and broad? He came in the other day and stood there looking at the sign-up information for a while, and then just walked out again."

"Sounds like that whole place is full of awkward," snorts Rose.

He was definitely cute in a hopped-up on sugar, socially stunted, long-fingered kind of way. I guess. "Maybe we should go over there and—"

With a sudden bang, the door of the staff room swings open, slamming against the wall.

Wearing his compression shorts and a tight t-shirt, Mike is standing in the doorway, his hands on his hips. "What the fuck is going on here?"

* * *

**Thank you Krys. My morning DM'er. xx**


	3. Week Three

**Challenge Number/Title: 3  
**

**The Fall Factor**

**Date Posted: January 27th, 2013**

**Fandom: Twilight**  
**Rating: M**  
**Genre: AH**  
**Content Descriptors: Fluff.**  
**Character Pairing: E/B**

* * *

"There's always things to do, girls. I don't pay you to sit around."

"He barely pays us at all," whispers Alice, rolling her eyes as Mike paces back and forth across the staff room floor. He doesn't hear her of course; he's too busy asserting his authority as King of the Douchebags. His thighs flex as he paces, the light bouncing off of his hairless shins. The thing with Mike is that he's actually a very attractive guy. Look past the fact that I don't think he owns a pair of shoes that aren't runners, and the fact that he's obviously drunk on power, and he's really quite attractive in a typical, well-toned, fit, healthy kind of way.

"Bella; I want those front windows sparkling by the time I get back. Rosalie—"

"Don't you dare say men's change rooms."

"Well, since you asked so nicely."

Rosalie's beautiful features morph into a look of pure hatred and disgust, which I'm guessing are aimed at both Mike and the change rooms. "Fuck."

"And Alice; you can do the mirrors in every room. I want to see my face in them by the time I get back."

Alice opens her mouth to respond, but I clamp a hand over it, shaking my head. "Leave it."

* * *

Alice looks around furtively as I clip the carabiner into my harness.

"I swear, you two are going to get me fired."

"And that's bad because?"

"Because I'm five minutes away from finishing my thesis, and I need this job, that's why."

Rosalie flexes her fingers, cracking her knuckles loudly. "You forget we're all in the same predicament, Alice. The freelance design business isn't paying well for first year students, and I'm much too pretty for McDonalds."

"You do have a face for Wendy's though," I tease, securing my hair at the nape of my neck.

"You talk a big talk, Swan. But can you walk the walk?"

Looking up at the wall in front of us, I smile. Rosalie might have the height, but I have the agility. This wall, and victory, are mine. "You mean climb the climb? And you know I can."

"You sound pretty certain there, Bella," says Jasper, who's volunteered to belay for Rose. He had the good fortune to turn up early for his afternoon shift, and has therefore been roped into our little wager.

Alice – the girl who is five minutes away from completing a thesis that will mean we'll have to call her Dr. Brandon – giggles, looking everywhere but at Jasper. "That's because if she loses, she has to do the front windows and the men's bathrooms."

Jasper's eyes widen. "Ouch."

With Alice and Jasper on belay, Rose and I step up to the thirty-foot wall, little colored handholds dotting the surface all the way up to the top, marking my path upwards.

I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "First person to the summit buys the ice tea and muffins tomorrow."

"It's not Everest, Bella. It's just called the top."

Grabbing a hold of a bright purple jug hold, I look back at her, readying myself to win like the champion I am. "Whatever, just climb, bitch."

* * *

"You paying all together or separately, girls?"

I fish a fifty dollar bill out of my purse, my fingers still aching from yesterday's climb. "No, it's on me."

Vicki smiles, pressing a few keys on the register. "Well aren't you just a peach?"

If I was a peach, I'd be a bruised and battered looking thing after my disastrous race with Rose. My hands ache, there are dark purplish-black looking bruises on my knees, and the nail on my left index finger has been torn to a bloody stump. Next time I get to choose the challenge, and you can be damned sure it'll be something I know I can win.

"What's all this low fat gluten free shit, Vic?" asks Rose over the counter, scowling at the blueberry muffins.

"I have to cater to my market, Rose. Not everyone is naturally beautiful like you."

With a pretty smile, Rose leaves the gluten free muffins to live another day.

Since Mike never did return to work to make sure we'd done our assigned jobs, I procrastinated for the remainder of the afternoon until the classes started and the afternoon rush began. While this meant getting off lightly yesterday, it meant spending the morning elbow deep in shower cleaner and bleach. Needless to say I think I've earned more than the carrot sticks and humus that are currently residing in the fridge at work.

Desserts and cold drinks in hand, I turn to find Edward from across the street sitting at one of the tables, a large, broad-shouldered guy sitting beside him.

"Hey, Edward!"

I wave, and his head snaps up violently before a coughing fit seizes him, his cold drink forgotten as he splutters loudly. He still raises a hand to wave politely though, coughing into the other.

Rose holds open the door for me, throwing a glance at the pair over her shoulder before following me out the door.

"He is sort of cute."

I nod, reaching into the brown paper bag to break off a piece of my chocolate chip muffin. "He is, right? I mean, in a nervous, messy kind of way."

Rose hums in the affirmative, holding open the front door of the gym. "He's definitely got that tall, dark and handsome thing going on. And shoulders like a linebacker!"

"Who, Edward?"

"Which one's Edward again?"

"The one with the bronzey-colored hair."

"Oh." Rose waves a hand in my direction, nodding. "Yeah, that's who I meant."

Handing Alice her food, I narrow my eyes at Rose over my iced tea as I take a sip.

"Un-narrow those eyes, bitch, before I tie you to the reformer. Anyway, you better get started on those windows before Mike gets back."

Groaning, I shove another mouthful of muffin into my mouth, and grab a bucket.

"Speaking of men," says Alice. "How is Chip, Rose?"

Chip Baxter is Rose's latest boyfriend. He works at the Newton's across town, and is completely lovely, but intensely stupid.

"He's okay," says Rose with a shrug. "He's doing that stupid cabbage soup diet - like he needs to loose weight - and it's driving me insane. I mean, I'm trying to be supportive and all, but do you know what eating cabbage for every meal does to your digestion?"

She holds up a hand in my direction, and I shut my mouth. "Don't even answer that."

"You know, I bet the dark-haired guy from across the street doesn't smell like cabbage," I muse, just loud enough for Rose to hear.

When I sneak a look at her over my shoulder, I'm met with one of Rosalie's signature bitch-faces. "Yes, well, I bet you can't bounce quarters off of _his_ ass," she argues, throwing her balled-up paper bag at me, which hits me in the side of the head. I gasp as the last of my sweet, delicious, chocolatey goodness falls out of my fingers and into the bucket of water, sinking into a soap-filled, watery tomb.

"Motherfucker," I whisper with a pout, staring at the soapy water and watching as the chunk of muffin dissolves into nothing, before tipping it out and starting again. "Do we even know what it is that they do over there, these weird, nervous guys that we seem to speak of so often?"

"It's a website design company," answers Alice. "Or was it graphic design?"

Rosalie steps out of the bathroom, her yoga gear in place of her regular gym clothes. "It's definitely not graphic design. I thought it was a marketing firm."

"So we have no idea then?" I say, digging the window cleaner out from under the sink.

"Maybe we could take some of those discount things over there," offers Alice. "Under the guise of finding out what they do."

That Alice; always the smart one.

* * *

**Thank you to Krystal for the lovely visual of a thumb with a nail stuck through it. And also for her quick beta work.**

**xx Wink**


	4. Week Four

**Challenge Number/Title: 4**

**The Fall Factor**

**Date Posted: February –5th, 2013**

**Fandom: Twilight**  
**Rating: M**  
**Genre: AH**  
**Content Descriptors: Fluff.**  
**Character Pairing: E/B**

* * *

"Come with me."

"Not a chance."

My whole body jerks as Emmett punches me in the upper arm. "Come with me."

"Are you going to keep punching me if I don't come with you?"

"Probably."

I rub my arm, glaring at my computer monitor. I really don't want an Emmett sized bruise on my bicep. "Fine. Gimme a second."

Satisfied, Emmett goes back to his own cubicle. It's twelve-thirty on a Wednesday, and after weeks of deliberation, Emmett has decided that today is the day he's going to sign up for a membership at Newton's Fitness and Rock.

Weeks spent lurking at the office window has obviously sent him insane.

I, on the other hand, have more important things to spend forty dollars a month on.

Plus, I'm sweaty and awkward at the very best of times; I don't need to pay to embarrass myself in front of Bella. Yeah, I totally know her name. For a brief moment, just two-point-five seconds, I was cool enough to voluntarily do something nice for her. The only problem was that the minute she spoke to me, my brain completely checked out and I just stood there staring at her like a creep. To make matters worse, the second time she spoke to me I just about choked to death on an iced tea.

What can I say? I'm just that smooth.

Anyway, I figure accompanying Emmett and lurking at her work is only a shade more stalkerish than staring at her from across the street. Plus, I bet they have air-conditioning.

* * *

Stepping into the hot afternoon sun, I shove my sunglasses on and roll the sleeves of my shirt up, hoping to abate the sweat-fest that's currently going on inside my clothing.

Emmett and I are half way across the street before either of us notice two girls outside, a bucket of soapy water between them, sponges and window cleaning thingies in hand.

It's like someone reached inside of my head and pulled out every dirty fantasy I've ever had.

Short shorts.

Water.

Giggling.

The only thing missing was a shitty soundtrack. A car horn blasts from my right, tearing me away from my fantasy come to life, and I turn to see Emmett's wide eyes taking in the scene. I'm torn between feeling bad for the two of them, since it's about two million degrees outside, and being unable to unglue my eyes from the curve of Bella's thighs.

"Jesus," Emmett whispers.

I'm so busy covertly checking out Bella and her gym shorts that I don't notice the owner step out of the front door until his shoulder collides with mine.

"Sorr—"

He ignores me, his massive deltoid muscles glistening in the sunlight as he breezes straight past. Have I mentioned he's kind of a dick wad?

"You missed a spot," he says casually, pointing to the top of the front window before strutting off.

See? Dick wad.

The cool air from inside of the gym hits me, and it's like every cell in my body sighs with relief.

"Hey, guys. Welcome to Newton's."

It's the blonde one, the one Emmett has a thing for. I can practically feel the awkward roll off Emmett as he steps up to the counter.

"Yeah…hi…um, I'm Emmett—"

"Nice to meet you, Emmett." She's talking to him like he's a three-year-old; that's not a good sign. But then he's speaking so quietly I'm surprised she can actually hear what he's saying.

Not wanting to crowd the painfully weird moment, I settle on flipping through the class schedule.

Does Bella take a class? Which one, I wonder.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out, grimacing at the screen as my mom's number flashes across it. My thumb hovers over the answer button, and I really do think about answering and dealing with the guilt she'll lay on me about not answering the ten other times she's called, but in the end I don't, because I'm not that stupid. And because Bella is cleaning the top of the front window and her shirt is riding up and _God_ could I be any more of a pervert?

If my mom could only see me now. Her son the peeping tom.

Stuffing the flyer back into its stand, I turn to see the blonde standing behind the desk as Emmett fills out the paper work.

"You signing up too, Edward?"

I shake my head vigorously. "No, no, it's not really my thing. I'm not really the athletic type."

She smiles. "Nonsense. We have classes for all skill levels, and we can totally give you a plan that's easy to follow. Plus, we're offering half price memberships this week only."

Fear rises in my throat. She's like a fucking bug zapper. All pretty and blonde and perky with her lovely smile and blue eyes, and you kind of want to do what she says even though you KNOW it's going to hurt.

"I don't know… I…uh…" My hand finds its way into my hair, a nervous habit I got from my Dad.

As she rounds the corner, her name tag comes into view, and "Rosalie" hands me a clipboard with the sign-up sheet attached.

"Twenty dollars a month, no cancellation fees, no hidden costs."

My mouth opens to object, but no sound comes out.

"Plus," she says quietly, leaning in conspiratorially. "The rock classes are included in the membership price."

I blink at her once, and her face softens, her lips curving into a sly grin. "The lovely Bella is one of our full time rock climbing instructors."

_Oh._

"Oh."

My brain screams at me to stop as I reach out a shaking hand to take the clipboard from Rosalie's hands.

"Don't forget your account information at the bottom for the direct debit," she says, stepping back and smiling proudly at me. "All done, Emmett?"

* * *

"I'm going to fucking kill you," I hiss at Emmett as we make our way out of Newton's with two temporary membership cards in hand.

No way," he whispers back. "She totally digs me. This is so worth it."

"Hello again."

Both Emmett and I turn at the sound of Bella's voice. She's got the empty bucket sitting on her hip and her arms slung over it to keep it steady.

"Oh, hey, you signed up?" she says, pointing to the paper in my hand. "That's awesome!"

I feel a blush creep up the back of my neck. "Yeah." My voice cracks a little around the word, but I push through it. "Rosalie can be pretty persuasive."

She smiles, and it's like her features light up, the emotion behind the movement flooding her face, making her whole demeanor brighter. Her perfect pink lips stretch wide, and the blush in my neck recedes as the blood in my body begins to pool somewhere entirely different.

"That she is. So are you just going to do the gym, or am I going to get you up on my wall?"

I hold the appointment card up. "I don't know. I have an appointment for an assessment on Thursday with someone called Jasper."

My heart stops dead in my chest as she reaches out and squeezes my arm gently. "Don't worry, Jasper is really great. He'll go easy on you."

I smile timidly in reply, stuffing the card in my back pocket.

"Well, I'd better get back to work," Bella says.

The skin beneath my shirt sleeve tingles from her touch, and even though I know it's all in my head, it's like I can feel the outline of her slim fingers burned into my arm.

"Nice to see you, Edward. Make sure you come say hi when you're around."

Flashing me another smile, she turns to leave, giving me one last look at her spectacular thighs in her shorts.

"Yeah – uh - beeya."

_For fucks sake._

"Did you just say beeya?"

I nod, wanting to crawl inside of myself until I disappear completely. "I went to say bye and see ya, and they came out at the same time."

Emmett snorts. "Sucks to be you."

When we get back to work and settle into the stifling office, I find three messages from my mom on my voice mail. Taking a deep breath, I pick up the receiver and begin to dial – only to hang up mid-way through.

I love my mom; don't get me wrong. But there's only so much meddling a guy can take, and lately my mom's matchmaking schemes seem to have hit an all time high. As I put the phone down, I figure I'll pick up a cake from her favorite bakery over on Fifth Street, let her berate me for not returning her calls for a little while, and she'll be just fine. I just really don't need to hear about Maggie's sister's daughter who's single, really pretty, and would love to meet me. I just don't.

Picking up the appointment card for my fitness assessment, I turn it over a few times, debating whether or not to just call up and cancel.

On one hand, I probably could stand to be a little fitter. But on the other, I'm about as coordinated as a baby giraffe.

In the end, it's the memory of Bella's smile, the one that seems to be etched into the back of my eyelids and playing on repeat every time I close my eyes, that steels my determination to turn up to the appointment.

* * *

**Thank you to Krystal, my gif-loving beta.**


	5. Week Five

**Challenge Number/Title: 5 **

**The Fall Factor**  
** Date Posted: February 17th, 2013**

**Fandom: Twilight**  
** Rating: M**  
** Genre: AH**  
** Content Descriptors: Fluff.**  
** Character Pairing: E/B**

* * *

**I apologize in advance for my limerick skills. *shakes fist at PTB***

* * *

Palms sweating and knee jiggling, I sit in the little office, waiting for this Jasper guy to turn up.

I have no idea what this assessment is going to entail, I'm just praying to God it doesn't mean stripping down in front of him. Although, in the very unlikely case that getting semi-naked is going to occur, I'm just glad it isn't Bella doing my assessment. I would be embarrassed enough being undressed in front of her – sporting a raging hard on as well would be the end of me.

Tapping my fingers against my thigh, I look around the plain little room, wondering if it's too late to make a break for it. Tacked to the wall across from me is a poster; one of those motivational ones with the stupid photo on it with an even stupider poem. This one has a picture of a large woman sitting on a little grey cat.

'_There once was a woman named Fay,_

_Who sat on her bottom all day,_

'_Till one day she sat,_

_Her ass on her cat,_

_And frightened the poor thing away."_

Underneath, taped to the poster, is a little handwritten line: "Newton's Fitness & Rock – putting an end to animal cruelty since 2008". Obviously I'm not the only one who thinks those posters are ridiculous.

Suddenly, the office door swings open, the plastic vertical blinds clanging against the frame, and a tall, tanned, surfer-looking guy pokes his head around the door, before smiling and stepping into the room.

"Oh, hey! Sorry, man. I got caught up on The Wall. I'm Jasper."

He shakes my hand quickly.

"Some guy got all the way up to the top and then decided he couldn't get down." He chuckles, shaking his head. "You're not afraid of heights are you?"

I shake my head, wiping my hands down the length of my thighs.

"So, uh… how did you get him down?"

He settles into a desk chair a few feet away, rifling through some papers. "Nah, I just belayed for Bella while she got him down. She's got a knack for dealing with shit like that. I would have just reefed him off the wall by his rope."

The image of Bella, harnessed up and hanging from a wall, is one I seem to have trouble getting into my head. Jasper, on the other hand, with his broad shoulders and strong arms, looks like he could hang from the top of the wall like Donkey Kong without breaking a sweat. He chats away happily as he starts the assessment, taking down my height and weight without once making comment about my string-bean appearance.

"How long have you been a personal trainer?" I ask, as he attaches a scary-looking pair of steel calipers to my side.

Jasper turns to write the measurement down on my assessment. "About two years now. Been working at Newton's for about one, I guess. You work across the street, right?"

I nod, rolling my shirt down and sitting as Jasper finishes writing. It's decidedly hard not to lean over and look at what he's writing.

"Dude," he chuckles, tossing his pen aside. "For someone who doesn't exercise, you're in pretty good shape."

My eyes pop open. "Really?"

He swings his chair around to face me, grinning. "Well, you're not Michael Phelps, but you've got eleven percent body fat, which is great, and your blood pressure is perfect."

My mouth twitches up into a smile, to say I'm surprised and a little happy would be spot on. "I was expecting much worse."

"No way. I mean, your muscle tone could do with some work, and your flexibility and core strength…"

"So I'm healthy, but I'm not fit?"

He smiles. "Exactly. But that's where I come in."

The back of my fingers worry the skin between my eyebrows. "Yeah, well, like I said to Rosalie, I'm not really the fitness type."

"Are you serious? Eleven percent body fat is, like, athlete material. You're a little on the skinny side, but that's nothing we can't handle with some weights and maybe some protein shakes."

The idea of chugging powdered protein shakes makes me wince.

Jasper laughs. "Yeah, okay, no protein shakes then."

As he's reaching behind him for something, there's a quiet knock at the door, and a dark-haired head peeks in. "Sorry," the girl says, looking at me briefly before stepping inside. "I don't mean to interrupt, Jas, but I was wondering if you have the key to the spin studio? I can't find it."

Turning, Jasper opens a drawer on the desk and retrieves a set of keys.

"It's Edward, right?" asks the dark haired girl.

Why do I get the feeling everyone here knows who I am?

"I'm Alice." She reaches out and shakes my hand, her delicate little fingers engulfed by mine. I can't help but feel like a bug under a microscope as she scrutinizes me from behind her glasses.

"You know you gotta hold the handle still while you turn the key?" says Jasper, his expression soft and somewhat more wistful than it was a moment ago. Nodding, Alice takes her eyes from me and turns to him, her hand outstretched for the key.

There's a moment – just a brief one – where I feel like I'm intruding, like I'm the big grey elephant in the room. I want to hide under the desk and leave Jasper alone with Alice. Of course I can't; the desk is much too small, and it would be weird.

"Thanks," chirps Alice, smiling at Jasper and throwing me a wave over her shoulder before slipping out the door.

Jasper watches the closed door for a moment – just a heartbeat too long – before flopping back into his seat, his hand sliding into his hair as he lets out a long sigh.

"I feel like I just ruined a moment there," I say, breaking the silence. "I didn't know you and Alice were…" My hands gesture in front of me. "Together."

Jasper barks out a loud laugh, rocking back in his desk chair. "We're not. It's…" He scratches his chin, smiling. "I don't know. She's way out of my league…it's…no. Anyway," he says, standing up and clapping his hands together. "Let's show you around the place."

Following close at Jasper's heels, I listen as he takes me through the gym, pointing out the various machines.

"The treadmills and bikes are in there. But you don't want to lose what little fat you've got, so for now steer clear of the sweaty stuff, okay?"

"I'm beginning to like you more and more," I reply quietly, my confidence bolstered as Jasper laughs loudly.

He shows me to the weights room, where the obligatory muscle man sits in front of the mirror, his bulging bicep flexing with each curl of the massive weight in his hand.

"Jesus, his arms are as big as my head," I whisper, watching as the wall of man lifts the barbell again, muscles rippling under his too-tanned skin.

Jasper rolls his eyes. "That's Marcus, he pretty much lives in the weights room. He also buys his supplements online, and I'm not entirely sure that they're legal."

My eyes widen, and suddenly he doesn't seem so scary once I know his balls are probably the size of raisins.

"I thought I told you to lay off the protein shakes, Marcus," calls Jasper as we pass, shaking his head as his voice lowers. "You big freak of nature."

I watch intently as Jasper shows me through a few basic weight exercises, nothing too exciting; some lunges, squats, a few barbell reps.

"This is the class roster," he says, handing me a timetable. "You'd probably enjoy the boxing classes, or the Pilates with Rose – good for your core strength."

But I can't concentrate on the piece of paper in front of me. All I can see is the windows behind Jasper, and what lies beyond.

"Is that the rock climbing area?"

Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Jasper throws an arm over my shoulder. "A man after my own heart."

Through the bright orange double doors, the gym suddenly opens up into a massive room, the ceiling vaulting at least forty foot in the air, a massive structure looming up in the centre. The smell of plastic, body odor and sweaty feet lingers in the air, but instead of being repulsed – I'm intrigued. The pale, cream-colored rock face is dotted with brightly colored markers, all the way from the bottom to the top, even the underside of the wall as it juts out at almost a ninety-degree angle. As I look up at the thirty-foot wall, a rush of nerves flashes through me, sinking all the way down into my feet. I'm torn between being scared of it, and wanting to see how far up I could get.

The room seems quiet except for the clang of metal against metal, and a familiar voice as it rings out across the room.

"You can do it, Liam. Push a little more. Just a little further."

She's standing with her back to me, her white tank top making her skin look golden brown as her shoulders flex beneath it, her hand busy belaying for some dude who's almost at the top of the wall.

"Watch that left edge hold, Liam. It's a nasty one," says Jasper, crossing his arms over his chest as he watches the climber hold on for dear life as he pants loudly.

Bella turns, her eyes finding Jasper and then me over her shoulder. "Shut up, Jasper. Hey, Edward!"

I wave, but she's already turned back.

"I knew I'd get you on my wall!" she calls, her head tilted up as she slides the rope through the harness around her hips.

"No…I…," I stammer. "Jasper was just showing me around."

She laughs, and it echoes around the room, bouncing around my head just as loudly. Jasper watches me, his eyes sizing me up as the back of my neck heats with a blush.

"You wanna climb?" asks Jasper quietly, leaning in.

"No way," I reply, shaking my head, but instantly wishing I could say yes. "I don't need a room full of people watching me plummet to my death."

Cocking his head to one side, Jasper's brows furrow. "You've got, like, no self-esteem, dude."

I shrug, watching as this Liam guy grunts and lunges his way up the wall, one brightly colored marker at a time.

"Here's the deal," he says, placing a hand on each of my shoulders. "You come see me in the weights room three times a week for the next two weeks, do as I say, and I'll bring you in here myself, and I promise I won't let you fall on your ass, okay?"

My eyes travel over Jasper's shoulder, and his head turns to follow them. We both watch as Liam reaches the top of the wall, just one handhold between him and victory.

"Just one more, Liam," yells Bella from the ground. "You do this and I'll go easy on you in spin class next week."

With a final heave and groan, Liam pushes himself up, reaching as hard as he can for the last hold. When he touches it, Bella squeals with delight from below, and with a thud, Liam slams his hand against the top of the rock face, and roars with triumph.

Swallowing, my eyes meet Jasper's. "Deal."

* * *

**Thank you to Krystle for JenGifs.**


	6. Week Eight - Repost

**So most of you have already read this chapter. I'm reposting, as the last one didn't quite meet the prompt criteria. To work around this, I've reworked the chapter to fit Week 8's prompt, and week 6 will come a little later. Does that make sense? Probably not.**

* * *

**Challenge Number/Title: 8 - Talk My Ear Off  
**

**The Fall Factor  
Date Posted: February 27th, 2013**

**Fandom: Twilight  
Rating: M  
Genre: AH  
Content Descriptors: Fluff.  
Character Pairing: E/B**

* * *

**Thank you to the lovely MagTwi for checking my climbing references. I'm a totally Gumby.**

* * *

**"**I'm just saying, you seemed pretty happy when he showed up," calls Rosalie from the ground, letting the rope slacken a little as I hang from a set of bright green jug holds.

"He's just nice, that's all," I reply, digging my toes in hard and bracing myself under the roof before reaching up and around the overhang for the next hold.

"I don't know why you always pick the hard routes," shouts Alice from beside Rose. "You can make those easy ones without thinking."

"What's the point in that?" I call back, finding the next hold with practiced ease. A little puff of breath rushes from between my lips; the little tendril of dark hair matted to my slick forehead staying put until I wipe my head against my shoulder to move it. A moment later, I bring my knee up, bracing my foot on a solid hold before pushing off and securing the next handhold. Once I'm secure, my other foot follows and I push around the overhang until I'm on flat wall again.

"Looks like Emmett's going to be a regular in my beginner's class," says Rosalie nonchalantly as I set my feet and hands into holds and take a break, leaning back into the harness.

"Really? Somehow I never pegged him for the Pilates type."

Rosalie shrugs. "He's surprisingly flexible for such a big guy."

"Oh yeah? You been checking out his hip circles?" I tease, thrusting my hips a little. A sharp yank on the rope makes me squeak, my fingers digging in hard to keep myself in place. "Ow! Nasty bitch. Don't pretend you weren't checking him out that day."

"In case you forgot; I have a boyfriend."

"Right." I search my next suitable hold. "Chip."

"Yes, Chip."

"What kind of a name is Chip?"

Rosalie rolls her eyes. "What kind of a name is Alice?"

Alice pokes her tongue out.

"How is Chip? Still working on coloring between the lines?"

"Don't be a bitch."

Alice mumbles an insincere apology as I laugh.

"Don't think I don't see you detouring past the weights room these days, Bella. Checking to see if your man is there."

"He's _not_ my man."

"What is it about Edward anyway?" asks Alice. "What's the attraction?"

I take a moment to reply, my fingers caressing the next hold, positioning myself comfortably before I rest my weight on them.

"Um. I really don't know. He just seems sweet and kind of adorable."

"Puppies are sweet and adorable."

"Yeah, well, I like puppies. I don't know, Rose. I just think he's nice."

"He's just so awkward."

"Oh, and Emmett the lumberjack-Pilates guy isn't? He tripped over foam mats on his way into the workout room yesterday and then again on his way out."

"He's pretty fucking clumsy, I'll give you that."

"So explain the attraction there then," I counter, grunting quietly as I lunge for a hold.

"Apart from his apparently spectacular downward dog."

Alice, always the smart ass.

Rose pauses, letting the rope slacken for me. "Emmett just seems so… normal."

"And that's bad?"

"No. Just different."

With a final push, I make the top – tapping the last hold with a smile. "Fuck yes! Dirt me."

Still smiling, I relax into the harness as Rosalie lowers me to the floor.

"Jesus, B. You need to lay off the blueberry muffins."

Once on the ground, my wobbly knees buckle beneath me, and I sink to the floor.

"No more chocolate frappes for me."

My arms wobble from exertion as I try to support my weight behind me, but since I picked the hardest route to the top, they're exhausted and I end up lying flat on my back, gazing up the brightly-colored climbing surface as my thighs shake beneath me.

"Normal is okay though, right?" asks Alice. "Like pizza on a Friday night, regular beer, full fat milk kind of normal?"

Crossing her legs, Rosalie sits down beside Alice and I. "Yeah, and it would be nice to date someone who spends less time in front of the mirror than I do."

"And who uses less fake tan."

"And hair product."

They giggle for a moment, their laughter echoing through the empty room. I'm simply too exhausted to even laugh.

"Seriously though, you know Emmett's never going to get the balls to ask you out?"

"Yeah I know. And it's not like Edward will suddenly grow a pair and confess his adoration for you."

"I wouldn't call it adoration."

Alice snorts. "Whatever. He can barely function on a basic level when you're around."

"Uh-huh, and you're Little Miss Chatty Cathy when Jasper is around."

Alice's mouth drops open. "I…I talk to him. Sometimes. And anyway, even if I did talk to him, it's not like it would make a difference."

I poke her leg hard. "For a smart girl, you're incredibly stupid."

Rosalie stretches her long legs out in front of her, her fingers wrapped over the tops of her feet. "So what are you going to do about Edward?"

I shrug. "He does have some major self-esteem issues."

Rose sighs, long and loud. "I think we're going to have to take some initiative."

"I think you're going to have to break up with Chip first. Maybe draw him a picture or something."

Rose doesn't seem too upset as she stands, smiling down the two of us on the floor at her feet. "Maybe there's a breakup pop-up book I can buy him."

Groaning, I take her offered hand and stand, my legs still shaking a little. "You'll still have to sound out the words for him though."

Our laughter is cut short by a group of beginners pushing through the doors, all nervous-eyed and wobbly-kneed as they approach.

I love beginners. The raw skin, blisters and bruised knees, the fear and apprehension that hits them when they realize how high up they really are. If my hands weren't so sore, I'd rub them together with eager anticipation.

I step out of the harness and walk over to the group, who look like a herd of deer in the headlights.

"Okay guys," I say, clapping my hand together. "Partner up and let's get started."

* * *

**Any mistakes are my own, thank you still to Krystle for her first-run beta before I chopped it up.**


	7. Week Seven

**Challenge Number/Title: 7 - Valentine Loos  
**

**The Fall Factor**

**Date Posted: March 4th, 2013**

**Fandom: Twilight  
Rating: M  
Genre: AH  
Content Descriptors: Fluff.  
Character Pairing: E/B**

* * *

"What day is it?"

"Wednesday. No, Tuesday."

I groan, pressing my head against the window. "It's only Tuesday?"

"All day long."

"This is creepy, right? Watching them every morning?"

James shrugs, but Emmett nods. "Hell yeah it is. But if watching the pretty girls from across the street is the only way to get through another day in this place, I'll take it."

My head squeaks against the glass as I turn back to watch the gym across the street.

"Hey, there's that guy with Rosalie again."

Emmett frowns a little, watching the guy open Rosalie's car door for her. "Man he's ripped."

"And he's really tanned. I think someone went a little overboard with the self tanner."

A satisfied smile makes its way onto Emmett's face. "He _is_ pretty orange."

He's not wrong. The guy is almost glowing he's so tanned, and his blonde hair just makes it look worse. We watch as Rosalie and the big orange dude disappear into Newton's.

"How's the Pilates going?"

"Good," replies Emmett, turning his back to the window. "My core strength is really improving, and it's really making me feel much more centered."

I raise an eyebrow. "Centered? Your _core_? Have you checked your estrogen levels lately? I think you're a little premenstrual."

James laughs, his hyena cackle turning into a yelp as Emmett whacks him good on the arm.

Teasing aside, Emmett does seem slimmer and a little less moody than he was a month ago. As for me, well, I can barely hold my coffee cup without shaking, and when I sit down I make noises that only an eighty year-old woman should make. Weight training with Jasper has been tough. On the upside, I've put on five pounds, and after a session three times a week for the past fortnight, I can do almost a dozen push-ups on my toes without wanting to vomit.

And, if all goes according to plan, tonight is the night I'll attempt my first try at the wall. To say I'm nervous would be an understatement. While I'm slightly less worried than I was two weeks ago, the thought of falling on my ass in front of Bella is still at the forefront of my mind.

But I can't dwell on it, so I force myself to think about something other than my inevitable embarrassment; work for example.

After a productive first hour of girl-watching, the three of us take our seats and start work. I'm only half way through a project when Ben sidles up to my cubicle, ducking in to hide behind the partition.

"You better watch out, man," he says, his jittery eyes darting around the office. "Jess from administration has got a Valentine's Day boner for you."

"Who told you that?"

"She did."

"She said Valentine's Day boner?"

"Well, something to that effect."

I slam my head to the desk in front of me, the sharp corner of my set square poking me in the forehead. "Christ."

Jessica is a seventeen-year-old intern working with the company. She's never made a secret of her crush on me, but lately it's begun to reach epic proportions. I used to think that maybe she'd grow out of it, that being a teenager it would be a passing phase. Unfortunately, I'm not that lucky.

Staying out of her sight, I lay low for the day, keeping to my cubicle at all times. I even convince Emmett to go to a different café for lunch just to keep out of her way. He whines a little, but when I offer to buy him lunch, he agrees.

"You know you're going to have to deal with her sooner or later," he says over a bowlful of boring looking salad.

"She's seventeen, Emmett," I reply around a mouthful of chicken. "I can't crush a seventeen-year-old's feelings."

He shrugs, spearing a piece of cucumber on his fork and shaking it at me.

"You just wait. First, it's gold-sprayed macaroni stuck to a Valentine's Day card, then it's standing outside your house in the rain."

_Thank God it's summer. _

"How's your rabbit food?"

He makes a face at me. "Delicious."

After spending too much time with women in that Pilates classroom, Emmett has cut out all carbohydrates and only eats a light salad for lunch with one of those stupid vitamin water drinks. Me, I've been listening to Jasper, and he's been giving me the tips on muscle building and protein. Which is why I'm eating a whole plate of grilled chicken and rice while Emmett just stares at it longingly.

* * *

We return from lunch a while later, and the day progresses on as normal; no creepy Valentine's Day cards, no sign of Jess. At four-thirty, I retrieve my bag from beneath my desk, and slip into the bathroom to change into my gym gear. It's not as revealing as Mike's, and nowhere near as sexy as Bella's, but it works out okay.

Just as I'm about to leave, the bathroom door swings open, banging against the wall behind it, and there's Jess, a little white teddy in her hands and an evil glint in her eye.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Edward."

When her hand reaches behind her to lock the door, I want to scream bloody murder. I'm trapped.

"H-Happy Valentine's Day." I point to the teddy in her hand. "Is that for your boyfriend?"

She giggles, the metal of her braces flashing in the florescent light. "No, silly. It's for you."

With the teddy outstretched, its fluffy face and beady little eyes staring at me, I do the only thing I can to get me out of the situation without hurting her teenage feelings – I lie.

"Thank you, but I'm not sure if my girlfriend would appreciate me taking gifts from other women."

_Nice one, idiot._

Jess's eyes narrow, and I begin looking for something heavy to smash the lock on the bathroom door with. "You have a girlfriend?"

I nod slightly, a fine sheen of sweat gathering on the back of my neck. If I could just get around her to unlock the door…

"Is it that girl from the gym? The one with dark hair I see you talk to sometimes?"

"Bella?"

She blinks, her lips mashing together.

"No." _Yes! _"No. That's not her."

She sighs a long and sorrowful sigh. "It's because I'm the boss's daughter isn't it?"

My eyebrows almost fall off the top of my head. "You're Aro's daughter?"

Her clammy finger mashes my lips together, and I have to rear back to remove them.

"Don't speak. I know our love is forbidden, like Romeo and Juliet, Pocahontas and John Smith—"

"Who—"

Her finger moves for my mouth again but I dodge it, twisting my head to the side.

"Shhh, I know. Just know that true love always waits, Edward Cullen. Because I turn eighteen in nine months and sixteen days." She sucks her tongue across her teeth, her braces making it sound louder than necessary in the empty little bathroom. "And if that little girlfriend of yours isn't good to you - you know where you can find a real woman."

And with that, she and her creepy little Valentine's Day teddy are gone, the bathroom door swinging violently, and a plume of toxic perfume lingering in her wake.

I have to take a deep breath to make my heart slow down. While in reality, the moment with Jess might have only lasted a few minutes, it felt like eternity. When I return to my desk, Emmett is waiting for me dressed much the same as I am.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? You're all pale."

Grabbing my phone from my desk, I shake my head. "You don't want to know."

* * *

**Thank you Krystal. Pop the champagne, doll face!**

**Thank you to all of you lovely ladies who are stopping by too. x Wink**


	8. Week Six

**Challenge Number/Title: 6 - ****Inanimate Object POV**

**The Fall Factor**

**Date Posted: March 4th, 2013**

**Fandom: Twilight  
Rating: M  
Genre: AH  
Content Descriptors: Fluff.  
Character Pairing: E/B**

* * *

The door of the gym opens and in walks Rosalie with that big, model-looking guy that I've seen around a bit; the one with the expensive hair cut and well moisturized skin.

"We need to talk, Chip," she says, taking a seat behind my expansive desk.

He's barely paying any attention to her, his gaze focused intently on his reflection in the window behind her. She presses a few keys on the computer keyboard that's perched on my surface, her eyes scanning the screen for a moment before they find their way back to Chip.

"Sure, babe, let's talk."

Her fingers tap a violent rhythm on my surface as she rocks back in the desk chair.

"Focus, Chip. Look at me."

He brushes a hand through his impeccably styled hair and then turns to perch his ass on the side of my desk, his muscled glutes pressed against the drawers.

"What's up, babe? Hey do you think the hairdresser cut my hair too short?"

Slapping her palm hard against my desktop, Rosalie stands, her hands moving to her hips. "Shut. Up. You're hair is fine. Your shorts look fine. No your arms aren't getting soft. Chip…" Her head drops, and for a moment she looks sad before her face becomes an impassive mask again, determination set into her pretty features. "I think we should see other people."

He smiles, chuckling. "I see other people all the time."

"What?"

"See, there's Bella."

Bella's head snaps up as she strolls through the reception, breezing right past Rose and Chip.

"Oh for fucks sake," Rosalie whispers. "No, Chip. I want to _break up_. I don't want to see _you_ anymore. Not at work, not at my house, not at my fucking beauty salon."

He blinks a few times, and you can hear his brain cells working their hardest to compute the information. "You're breaking up with me?"

"Yeah," replies Rose with a nod.

"But…why?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Rosalie sinks back down into the chair, and rests her arms on me. "Because you leave your hair shit on my straightener after you use it, and because you own more fake tan and skin care products than I do, and because I want an adult conversation with someone about more than just the merits of sleeveless work out shirts!"

I think Chip is a little dumbstruck – well, even more so than usual. After some reassurance that it wasn't because the hairdresser _did_ in fact cut his hair shorter, he leaves, his face akin to an abandoned puppy.

A moment later, Bella emerges from the staff room.

"How'd it go?" she asks, half walking half running through the reception area towards the Rose.

"Fine," replies Rosalie breezily, searching my drawers for something. "Why are you in such a rush?" she asks looking up.

Bella blushes, using the hair tie around her wrist to secure her hair up off her neck. "No reason."

Rosalie narrows her eyes and her fingers resume their tapping against my surface. "Bullshit."

Blowing out a loud breath, Bella drops her arms from her hair. "Jasper's got Edward harnessed up and ready to climb."

"So why do you look so nervous?"

"I don't know," says Bella quietly, her chin on her arms as she leans over the top of the desk. "That's weird, right?"

"A little."

She runs a hand across my blue speckled surface, collecting dust. "I just know he thinks he's going to bomb, and I really don't want him to."

"Maybe you need to give him some incentive to get to the top. Offer to show him your tits or something."

Straightening a bunch of business cards, Bella rolls her eyes. "I'll be in the climbing center if you need me."

No sooner has Bella exited the reception, the doors open again, and Alice enters, her laptop bag over her shoulder and a pile of books in her arms.

"Party at your place again?" asks Rose with a sympathetic smile.

"Assholes," is all she gets in reply as Alice strides straight into the staff room and slams the door behind her again.

From my vantage point in the reception, I get to see it all happen. All the comings and goings, the cute girls in their workout gear, the guys in their short shorts and muscle shirts. I'm privy to all sorts of great sights and information.

Case in point: the next person to waltz through the doors.

"Hey, Mike," says Rose, looking more cheerful than she did a moment ago.

"Chip told me you broke up with him," is his greeting.

Rosalie blanches, her eyes wide. "He told you?"

Mike nods, resting his hips against me, just inches away from where Rosalie sits. "He said you didn't like his hair or something."

Rosalie sighs loudly, her forehead dropping onto me with a thud. "No! His hair's fine. He's just… I don't know. I think I've outgrown pretty boys."

Mike frowns, his arms crossed over his broad chest. "Well, if you need some time off—"

"No. It's fine. I'm fine, Mike."

"Okay, well just…" His voice trails off as the doors open and Rosalie's head lifts, a brilliant smile gracing her beautiful face.

"Hey, Emmett!"

"Hey, Rosalie," he replies, gym bag slung over his shoulder, sneakers squeaking on the tiles.

"You here to watch Edward?" she asks, and I watch Mike look on with interest.

"Yeah," replies Emmett with a nod. "Thought I might go for a run, too."

"Oh, okay. Well if you need help just give me a yell, okay?"

A red flush creeps up Emmett's cheeks, and his eyes sparkle. "Sure thing."

It's like Rosalie doesn't even remember that Mike is there, what with the way she smiles as she tidies around her, picking up pencils and putting them away.

"You and Emmett, huh?"

Startled, Rosalie blushes. "He's just a nice guy."

"Between you and Bella, I'm going to have to start charging extra for memberships. You know it's not generally part of the contract for our instructors to fall in love with their customers?"

Raising an eyebrow, Rosalie shoots back, "Well, we're just offering a little extra. Going above and beyond and all that."

Mike snorts a sort of laugh, shaking his head. "Just make sure it stays professional while you're here, please. And don't forget to restock the bathrooms tonight, Rosalie. You forgot last night."

She makes a face, sticking her middle finger up at him when his back is turned. "I didn't forget."

He sticks his finger up at her over his shoulder. "I know."

* * *

**Thank you to Krystle for her quick beta work. Sleep now, my pretty. And this brings me back up to date. HUZZAH! Back to our regularly scheduled programming.**

**(Also, Follow the Sun was nom'd over at Teh Lemonade Stand for Fic of The Week. If you feel that way inclined, you could give it a little vote.)**

**xx Wink**


	9. Week Nine

**Challenge Number/Title: 9 - Finish it with...  
**

**The Fall Factor**

**Date Posted: March 22nd, 2013**

**Fandom: Twilight  
Rating: M  
Genre: AH  
Content Descriptors: Fluff.  
Character Pairing: E/B**

* * *

"I think you can see the outline of my junk."

Looking down very briefly, Jasper nods. "Yeah, the harness will do that. Better that than busting your neck, I guess."

I close my eyes, breathing a shaky sigh. "Thanks for reminding me."

Chuckling, Jasper nudges me. "You'll be fine. I'm at the other end, and I won't let you fall, okay?"

I'd been so calm leading up to the climb, but now, standing at the base of the mammoth wall, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to go through with it. Jasper seems to think I'm going to be okay, but my queasy stomach and my sweaty hands tell me otherwise.

"I don't know, Jasper…"

"Look, just take it slow. Don't rush, otherwise you'll wear yourself out before you make it half way." He lays a firm hand on my shoulder, giving me a gentle shake. "Remember what I said about not panicking, and just breathe."

The smirk that answers his last sentiments is uncontrollable. "I told you the same thing last week when Alice turned up in those tiny shorts."

Jasper sighs. "Don't remind me."

After almost a month of one-on-one training with him, the two of us have formed somewhat of an unlikely bond. Sure, half of the time we spend together I'm was sweating profusely and trying not to pass out, but he doesn't seem to mind. And, aside from the times I want to punch him in the face for saying "one more" or "push it", he's a cool guy.

"You ready?" he asks, and I really want to shake my head, but I don't.

Standing in front of the thirty-foot wall, I'm amazed at how much bigger it looks from the bottom. I know I'm strapped in and I can't fall, but the scenarios involving harness failure running through my head beg to differ.

I don't see her come in, but staring up at the wall, I can suddenly feel her presence—tiny little pinpricks of heat running the length of my spine. But I don't dare turn around, I'm too busy trying to psych myself up and she doesn't need to see my scared shitless expression.

"Could you get me some more chalk from the store room, please?" she asks Jasper quietly, her voice only just audible over the racked surrounding us.

I don't hear Jasper's reply, only Bella's quiet _please _in return.

"Hey," she says, coming to stand right beside my elbow, her kind brown eyes reassuring and soft. "You freaking out?"

I nod, my hands balled into fists at my side.

"You know that's normal, right? Everyone's scared the first time."

I know she's right, but that doesn't make me feel any less like I'm going to hurl my lunch all over the place.

She continues. "The first time I climbed I only made it half way."

The very thought of Bella clinging to the wall, shaking and scared seems completely illogical. "But you're a wiz up there!"

She smiles graciously. "If ever a wiz there was. I was just so excited that I took off and raced up the wall like my ass was on fire.

"HHalf way up I realized how high off the ground I was and I froze up. My legs locked and my arms were shaking and _God_, I'd never been so scared in all my life."

"Did you keep going?"

"Hell no! I made my instructor let me down and I vowed never to go near that thing again."

"But you did."

She nods, smiling knowingly. "I did. And I've loved it ever since."

"So if I freak out and want to get down, that's okay?"

Her delicate hand touches my shoulder. "Of course! But-" she looks around before stepping a little closer " –if you make it past the halfway mark I'll buy you dinner."

The conflicting emotions racing through me render me speechless for a moment, and the smug little smile on her face isn't helping. But before I can reply, Jasper returns, the bag of chalk in hand.

"Ready?" he asks both Bella and I.

"Yes," we reply at the same time, and hands shaking, I reach up and hook my fingers into the little plastic hold.

A sudden bolt of determination coursed through me, the offer of dinner with the girl I'd wanted for months bolstering my resolve.

This is my chance.

It's now or never.

With a final deep breath, I lift myself off the ground completely. There's a definite sense of foreboding, but also of safety. If the straps cutting off the circulation to my balls are good for anything, it's making me feel secure. Well, secure but also worried about a possible decrease in my sperm count.

The first few moves are okay, and I can see why people begin thinking it's easy. I don't have to reach too far out of my limited range, and the route is pretty direct and the holds nice and big since they're for beginners. But after half a dozen moves my arms are beginning to tire, and I have to stretch my calf muscles a couple of times to stop them from cramping. I'm panting pretty hard and my hands are aching like a bitch. There's no way on earth I would have been able to do this without the preparation with Jasper.

"Try the green hold above your right foot," he calls from the ground.

I lock my foot into the hold and then scan the wall for the corresponding hold for my hand. It's Bella's voice that drifts up this time. "Reach for the one over your head to the right. See it?"

My arms are beginning to shake pretty violently, but I'm so close now, maybe only four feet from the top. I lock my hand in and push off with my foot, inching higher.

They say you only live once, but at almost twenty-five feet in the air, I couldn't have cared less. I was only four feet from a date with Bella.

_If I make this I'm going to kiss the shit out of her. _

I look up at the distance left, my arms trembling and my legs screaming at me to stop.

"You can do it, dude," says Jasper from the ground as I reach for another hold.

"I'll even let you eat dessert!" yells Bella, and my sweaty fingers almost slip from a hold as I shift higher again.

I can feel the sweat gathering in places I wish it wasn't, and the harness is cutting into my legs like a motherfucker. But with one last grit of my teeth and a push of my legs, I grab the last hold with my left hand and plant my right foot while slamming my right hand against the top. There are claps and cheers not just from Bella and Jasper, but from a few others around the gym who, unbeknownst to me, have been watching. My cheeks flame red with embarrassment, but nevertheless, I raise a shaky fist into the air.

On the ground a moment later, slack-kneed and shaking, my legs crumble beneath me until I'm sprawled out on the floor, my chest heaving and my cheeks aching from the smile that threatens to tear my face in two.

When I open my eyes Bella is standing over me, her ponytail falling over her head and hanging in the air between us. With a wink and a smile she says, "pick you up at eight then," and saunters off, leaving me lying on the floor.

* * *

**Thank you to Krystal for her fast beta. **

**Also, have you checked out the entries for the Happily Ever After TwiFic Contest? You should. Js. There are some brilliant entries, AND NO ANGST! All love all the time. **

**Week ten to follow shortly. **

**x Wink**


	10. Week Ten

**Challenge Number/Title: 10 - Rule Me Out  
**

**The Fall Factor**

**Date Posted: March 22nd, 2013**

**Fandom: Twilight  
Rating: M  
Genre: AH  
Content Descriptors: Fluff.  
Character Pairing: E/B**

* * *

Standing in front of the mirror in my bedroom, I remember why I don't date much—I'm completely clueless.

Dressed in dark wash jeans and a bra, I rummage through my drawers, flinging clothes over my shoulders in an attempt to find something that says, _"I kiss on the first date"_, but also _"You could probably take me home if you're lucky enough." _At the very bottom, buried beneath a myriad of gym clothes and hoodies, I find a simple black tank top with a few sequins thrown in for a bit of sparkle. I hold it to my chest and stand in front of the mirror, sighing.

This would be so much easier if I had a single clue about all this stuff.

My hair is still kind of lumpy from being in a ponytail, and the best I can do with makeup is a bit of mascara and some tinted moisturizer. I can't even imagine the kind of girls Edward might have dated before. Even though he's shy, based on his looks alone he could be dating someone who looks like Rose—well manicured and perfect. Instead, he gets lumpy-haired, fashion-senseless me.

I sigh again. I've never been one to be self conscious. While I know I'm not a supermodel, I'm happy with the way I look. I work hard, I eat well, and I like the reflection I see in the mirror.

Most days.

Every day except for right now.

My decision is made for me when the front doorbell rings a moment later. I slip the top on and shove a pair of ballet flats on as I stumble to open the door.

Jasper greets me with a smile and two thumbs up as I do a little spin for him. "Are we picking up Edward?"

I shake my head, swiping some lip balm over my bottom lip. "He said he'd meet us there."

"Cool," replies Jasper with a shrug.

The local Mexican restaurant isn't great. The food is expensive, the cheese is greasy, and the beans give me an upset stomach. But, they never skimp on the tequila in the margaritas, and they have free corn chips, so that's where we end up.

Jasper and I are a little early; his anal tendency to be on time thwarted my readiness when he arrived at my apartment.

"I expected you to be immersed in hairspray and fake tan or something," he grouses.

I can't help but snort. "I don't think I own a can of hairspray."

We munch on our complimentary corn chips while he sips a beer and I gulp my margarita, trying to quell the sudden burst of nervousness in my stomach.

"So did Alice say she would make it tonight?" asks Jasper, trying to look nonchalant.

Nodding, I look at him over my glass as I take another drink. Swallowing, I set my drink down. "You know Newton's Rock and Fitness frowns upon inter-office relationships, Jasper."

It's his turn to snort. "Like you can talk. You break at least five of the Fitness and Rock staff conduct rules every day."

"What? I do not."

He chuckles. "Do too."

I frown, smoothing my bangs into place. "Name them."

"Rule number one: Staff members are to dress in an appropriate manner and uniforms are to be neat and tidy at all times. When was the last time you wore the regulation Fitness and Rock shorts?" he asks with his thumb in the air and his brow raised.

I flick a stray chip at him. "I prefer not to flash my ass to the entire gym, thank you."

"Rule number two: Personal phone calls are not to be made from the workplace. Who were you on the phone with when I came in last Thursday, Bella?"

"My mom," I mumble, swallowing a mouthful of margarita. At this rate I'll be drunk before Edward even arrives. "It was her birthday!"

"Whatever," he replies with a smirk. "Rule three: Lunch breaks are strictly thirty minutes for a six hour shift." He doesn't even finish his statement with a smart ass question.

"Fuck you. You take long lunches with me all the time."

He laughs, pushing the lemon wedge down the neck of his beer. "I've come to quite enjoy our little lunch dates."

"That's because I'm excellent company." I lick the salt from the tips of my fingers before wiping them on a napkin.

"That you are. Now, can I continue?"

I roll my hand in the air in a gesture for him to continue with his tirade.

"Rule four," he says, holding four fingers up in front of my face. "Staff are not to use office computers for personal use."

I stay silent, eying Jasper as he taps his fingers against the table top. The waitress comes and goes with a fresh basket of chips and a bowl of salsa while Jasper and I sit locked in a heated staring competition.

"You can't prove anything," I whisper, trying to sound menacing.

Jasper barks out a loud laugh that echoes across the room. "You get emails sent to work all the time. And you leave your Facebook logged in!"

"A-ha!" I reply, pointing a finger at him. "That was you who hacked my profile last week!"

We both laugh. "It's not hacking if your profile is right there open on the screen."

I pout dramatically. "I had to call my mom and assure her that I wasn't pregnant. I still don't think she believes me."

Jasper laughs, slapping a hand on the table. "Okay, okay. Finally, rule number five. The big one. Interaction between staff and gym members is to be kept professional at all times."

As the words leave his lips a streak of dark hair and pale skin enters the restaurant, the door held open for her by none other than Edward himself. Alice smiles and offers a polite thank you, her face lighting up as she spies Jasper and I across the room.

Heat flashes across my skin at the sight of Edward in a button down and soft, worn-looking jeans, his green eyes meeting mine for a moment before that adorable blush touches his cheeks and he looks away.

Sitting up straight in my chair, I turn to Jasper. "Here's to breaking all the rules."

He holds out his fist, which I bump softly.

* * *

**Thank you to Krystal. And to you for reading.**


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